A Night To Remember
by SabaSong
Summary: Not all marriages have happy endings... (Short StorySongfic, FINISHED!)


i Oooh…  
He promised a night to remember  
And oh she knows it will be  
A happy little celebration  
For their seventh anniversary/i  
  
Ceara Waterflower-Saunders's heart gave a small flutter as she glanced at the antique grandfather clock in the hallway of her quaint home. The golden pendulum swung rhythmically, ticking away precious seconds as the intricately shaped hands pointed urgently at the time: 5:30. That gave her…two hours to finish getting ready for her dinner date at 7:00 that evening. The young woman couldn't suppress a small smile that pulled at her lips over her Toby's off kilter punctuality that had been one monkey he had carried on his back through his childhood and into the adult life. Laughing inwardly, she smoothed down the satin sheets on her bed for the hundredth time before grabbing a bowl of golden rose petals.  
  
Rubbing a silky petal-a portrait of perfection in her eyes-between a milky colored forefinger and thumb, reveling in the feel of the unique softness that belonged to the most beautiful flower of all. In a quick burst of pressure, Ceara crushed the perfect object leaving a yellow residue on her fingers. All the perfection destroyed in a quick second, for nothing. Ceara felt a childlike pity for the thoughtless object she'd just crushed, but she shook her head to banish the thought and sprinkled the beautiful perfect petals over the bedcovers.  
  
Ceara's bare feet padded on the hardwood floor in the quiet pitter-patter of someone rushing around, arranging candles around the cozy room, putting matches within easy reaching distance of each cluster. She was positive her husband would flip at her newfound bravery, her newfound feminism. Forever gone was the tomboy he'd married, the girl who insisted on wearing a full skirt when her option of a pantsuit had been deleted from her wedding plans. No more was her hair going to be up in a clumsy ponytail, no more would she refuse to wear anything resembling a skirt. He'd always told her that her legs were beautiful…  
  
iHer new dress is cut a bit lower  
Her lips a brighter shade of red  
She spent all day setting those red curls  
Tonight she's gonna knock him dead/i  
  
Taking a last look around the room with glittering azure eyes to find it suitably sensual, Ceara flew towards her closet. Narrowing her eyes slightly as she pushed away ragged shorts and pants with whole knees missing, she slowly made her way towards the far left side of the incredibly crowded closet. Who would have thought trainers would collect so many blasted clothes? She'd have to find time in her busy schedule to clean out the horrendous catastrophe that was the closet, but not tonight. May the thought never play on the edge of her mind!   
  
Groping fingers finally touched something other than cotton, and Ceara yanked it out of the closet greedily, wanting to see the lovely creation yet again. It'd been hard keeping that prying husband of hers out of the closet but somehow-maybe by the grace of an angel-she'd managed to do it. She ran delicate fingers over the fabric that seemed to be ridged and smooth all at the same time, feeling every seam and curve as if she never would again. The dress was not only a feast for the eyes, but a delightful stimulation to the touch, a pleasing mix of feelings that caused a persons heart to beat faster. She'd finally found something even she couldn't resist touching.  
  
Quickly slipping the clingy emerald dress over her lithe frame, she admired herself in a full-length mirror that had acquired its share of dust over the past seven years. It was by no means conservative, but seemed to show just enough skin to be classy. Quickly undoing the curlers she'd set in her hair, the redhead fluffed her shoulder length hair. Tousling it a bit to make herself look a bit more natural, she noticed what a nice contrast her red hair gave to the cool green of her outfit. Ceara reached down and pulled out a tube of deep red lipstick and brushed it over her lips with shaky fingers. She'd never been one for makeup, and her poor Toby was going to have a heart attack over her reversal of self-esteem. Finally, a girl no more.  
  
iShe's gonna show him how the  
The fires burning now  
Her heart beats faster   
As she thinks back on that day/i  
  
A pearly, honest smile crossed her now deep red lips as she clipped her silver chain on her neck, and she picked the small ring that dangled from it up on her palm. Her promise ring… Aqua eyes stared back at the woman from the mirror, knowing aqua eyes filled with the sparkle love could only put there.  
  
iHe vowed they'd stay together  
To have and hold her in his arms/i  
  
Ceara's heart beat faster as the priest stopped lecturing and drew closer to the vows. She shifted imperceptibly from one white heel to the other and tightened her grip on the bouquet of white roses and lilies she held with both hands.  
  
To Ceara's jittery mind, vows were the most horrible part of getting married. It still gave him a chance to back out, to say no and leave her standing at the pearly altar heartbroken and defeated. He still had the chance to be happily single, to leave the imperfect girl he'd had the misfortune of falling for by just saying one simple word. He could still walk out of her life forever because of a split second decision…a word with the most powerful meaning in the world…  
  
"Do you, Toby Saunders, take Ceara Waterflower to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Toby looked at Ceara with a look he reserved only for her, and slid a small ring onto her finger with the utmost caution. He took her small hands in his and gave them a squeeze.  
  
"I do."  
  
iShe promised him forever,  
'Til death do us part'/i  
  
"And do you, Ceara Waterflower, take Toby Saunders to be your lawfully wedded husband?" The older priest turned to face the once nervous woman who was caught up in her to-be husbands gaze. Ceara hardly heard the poor man as that look from her love swept all her previous misgivings out the window and replaced her with a feeling of utter euphoria. Holding his deep chocolate gaze in her aqua one, she thought she saw the same hint of worry in Toby's eyes that had lurked in hers.  
  
"I do."  
  
Without waiting for the permission from the priest, Toby lifted Ceara's veil from in front of her face, and bent down to give her the most passionate and love filled kiss she had ever experienced. Wrapping slender arms around his broad shoulders, the world around them fell into the shadows and their lips pressed together was the only thing that mattered in the world.  
  
iSealed with a tender kiss,  
She can't help but reminisce   
And smile  
No doubt this will be a night to remember/i  
  
Ceara paced around her bedroom, her emerald heels clicking on the hard wood floor as she eyed the telltale grandfather clock again: 7:30. She knew Toby was chronically late, but her excitement was about to bubble over out onto the floor. Why wouldn't he…  
  
The ringing of a doorbell knocked the anxious woman off her train of thought, and her heart felt as if it might thump out of her chest. Her breathing tightened, each breath hanging in her throat as she quickly dashed down the hall before stopping and nearly hitting herself in the forehead with the palm of her hand as she turned tail back to her bedroom.  
  
Swinging around the corner in typical Ceara style, the woman reached onto her bed and grabbed her handbag. For the second time that evening, she turned to leave the room, and for the second time that evening, a strange feeling made her turn back in. She walked to the closet again, her legs moving of their own volition. A deaf hand reached into the closet and fished out a warm leather jacket-Toby's-the same jacket he'd wrapped around her shoulders on their first date. She pulled the bomber jacket close to her face and breathed in his distinctive smell, reveling in it until she remembered she had the real thing sitting outside her door. She slipped the jacket on over her sleeveless ensemble, but something sharp jabbing her in the rib through her thin fabric caused her to hesitate.  
*~*  
It had been a huge struggle for Ceara to get Toby to stay away from the house while she got ready for their anniversary dinner. Toby didn't see why he couldn't go home-it wasn't like there was anything special waiting for him or something. He sat in front of the house for what must have been fifteen minutes, rocking back and forth nervously and running a mental checklist in his mind. Toby seemed to have all the bases covered: champagne from the year of their wedding, Ceara's favorite foods, a blanket to lay out on and watch the stars…  
Just then, Ceara walked out the door. Toby's jaw nearly dropped to the floor, and it was all he could do to regain what composure he had. Her dress was breathtaking, and she hadn't looked that beautiful since he could remember. He let out a low whistle and reached out to take her hand in his, helping her down the stairs. When she hit the base, he wrapped her up in a big hug, the kind only he could give. Maybe had Toby been paying more attention to his wife's face than her body, he would have seen the cold deadness that lay in those aqua pools. Maybe he would have…Ceara quickly put on a plastic smile and a fake voice, but nothing could cover the…oddness…in her eyes. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he guided her to the passenger side of his black issue SUV and opened the door with a flamboyant bow.  
"Actually, honey, I'd like to drive tonight." Ceara's voice was full of forced cheer that she didn't feel, her Barbie smile covering up for the utter loss she felt down to her toes. Maybe Toby could have sensed her pain had he been paying attention. Maybe. Toby gave her a sideways glance with his deep brown eyes, cocking a fuzzy caterpillar eyebrow sky high. Usually Ceara hated driving in general-she'd much rather have ridden by bus-and usually drove a small Neon. She despised the League issue SUV with a passion, and Toby couldn't help but give her a once over. Shrugging, Toby Saunders decided all his wife wanted to do was find the perfect spot on the mountainside for their equally perfect evening. Opening the driver's side door for his wife, he quickly hopped around the car and into his side of the huge vehicle. Relaxing in the passenger seat, the raven haired man watched the scenery fly by.  
  
iThey drive to the top of the canyon,  
And pull right up to the edge  
They have dinner up above those city lights  
With a bloodless moon overhead/i  
  
Ceara cleaned her mouth delicately with her napkin, careful not to smudge her ruby lipstick. The meal should have been delicious-angel hair pasta with a tomato sauce that was just right-but Ceara wasn't able to taste it. Knowledge had left a bitter taste in her mouth, dulling her senses and blackening her heart. She set down her plate on the seat they'd let down to use as a table on the woman's insistence and looked at Toby with hollow eyes.  
  
iThere's a distance in her emerald eyes,  
Her voice is a little cold.  
As he takes another sip from his champagne glass  
He wonders if she knows. /i  
  
Toby peered over the rim of his slender glass at his wife. There was something weird about her eyes…something not right. Dinner had gone well, she'd seemed happy enough. Running through the evening, he checked his actions. He'd complemented her, talked to her about things she liked, gotten dinner…everything. Nothing seemed wrong externally. Her cheeks were rosy, her hair glossy and vibrant as ever, seeming to pick up every particle of light in the dimly lit vehicle and change it into a breathtaking shimmer. The only thing that could possibly upset her would be if she…no. Toby gave a slight shake of his head, mentally kicking himself for even thinking it. She didn't know, she *couldn't* know.   
  
So what was bothering her?  
  
Ceara sat looking at her husband, but not really seeing. She hadn't seen him in a long time, really seen him. Maybe that was what drove him to adultery. Maybe it was her fault. If she'd been just a little more attentive, a little more compassionate, a bit prettier, maybe Toby would still be hers. Just hers as it should have been. The redhead mechanically held her glass out to her husband for more of the chardonnay, seemingly watching her body do all the actions. It was as if she was no longer one with her body, as if her soul was floating high above her head watching down on her.  
  
Hah, right. Her soul had died the minute she'd read those letters. That witch, taking her Toby away from her. The only thing that mattered-the only thing that had EVER mattered-and it was gone. As she locked eyes with Toby, a sardonic smile crossed her lips. If she couldn't have the man she loved, no one else would.  
  
iInside her coat are the  
Letters his lover wrote  
Her heart beats faster as she   
Asks him to remember./i  
  
Ceara and Toby set down their champagne glasses simultaneously and just looked at each other. Ceara could hardly stand it. His deep brown eyes were boring into her, reading her, drinking her essence. God, how she wanted to just fall into his arms and cry. But how many other women had done the same since their marriage? How many others had he consoled? How many others had he cheated on her with?  
  
"Do you remember when we first fell in love?" Ceara asked, fighting to control her voice. She looked at Toby, her eyes pleading for the truth.  
  
"Yes. I remember. You were in that little bikini I love so much, and the ocean was the color of your eyes. The gold sun reflected off your hair, and I just wanted to reach out and touch it, hold you, feel you against me like I had wanted to so many times before."   
Toby finished, leaning in close to his wife and love. Ceara leaned out of her driver's seat and across to the passenger side as well, putting her delicate face by Toby's ear.  
  
iShe whispers in his ear,   
And tells him that she knows  
She throws the car in gear  
It plunges to the earth below/i  
  
"I know all about her." Ceara whispered. Toby felt his throat constrict and struggled for breath. She knew! But how? He'd been so careful to cover his tracks, so careful to protect her from the truth! His dark eyes filled with terror as she leaned back and looked him straight in the eyes, hers now filled-with the hurt and pain that he couldn't understand.  
  
"Ceara…I can explain…" Toby stammered. But he knew it was too late, too late for him and too late for Ceara. He'd broken her heart and he was never going to get her back. His blood froze in his veins as she felt her jerk away from him as if he had the plague. He watched as her hand plunged into her purse and yanked out a packet of letters he recognized with a cold sense of dread. They were from Jesse…  
  
"No, you can't." She no longer had tears to beat back. One with no heart cannot cry, and her heart was long gone. Her arm swung to the gearshift as she knocked it into drive and floored the gas petal. Ceara watched with cool eyes as Toby shouted. The black SUV flew off and over the cliff. For a sick second it seemed to float in midair…  
  
iShe whispers in his ear  
And tells him that she knows /i  
  
Toby looked at Ceara as time slowed down. He saw tears start to stream down her face as she looked at him. His soul twisted inside his body violently as he saw the inner anguish and insanity he had caused. He wanted to hold her, tell her he loved her, tell her that it was a mistake. But it was all too late now. Toby, the C.E.O, was about to die along side his wife. And the sick part was that he deserved it.  
  
iShe throws the car in gear/i  
  
Ceara looked at her husband once more as the ground grew closer and closer. She could clearly see it through the windshield now, the leaves of the trees and the mottled color of the grass. Ceara thought she could even hear a dog or two over Toby's terrified screams.  
  
Why had he done it? She chided herself, it was obvious. He didn't love her anymore. Oh well, she didn't love him either. Ceara would have liked to believe that, but she knew it wasn't true. She loved Toby with her whole heart and being, for eternity and beyond. But the reality was still plain to her: Toby didn't want her. And if Ceara couldn't have Toby, no one would.   
  
iIt blossoms like a fiery rose/i  
  
Ceara and Toby looked at each other one last time, seconds before impact.   
  
"Toby, I'll always love you." Ceara choked out as the car crashed into the turf below and burst into flames. Neither of the lovers felt the impact. They didn't feel their bodies get broken and smashed beyond recognition between the steel walls of the car. Nor did they feel the fire licking at their hands, their feet, their lifeless bodies. But one thing was sure, before the car exploded into flames Toby's soul was tortured, writhing in a mass of searing and eternal pain.  
  
iSealed with a faithful kiss  
Love takes a fatal twist  
No doubt this will be a night  
To Remember/i 


End file.
